Day 19 of Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving in Tragedy

I had hoped to keep up my list of Thanksgiving throughout November, but as it often does, life got in the way. Between trips home, choir programs, and finals, I just wasn't able to keep up. I fully intend to keep my word though, and still plan on doing all 30 posts of what I am thankful for.

Today, it is particularly easy to count my blessings and think about the things that I am thankful for. In the wake of a tragedy, such as today's elementary school shooting in Connecticut, it is easy for me to praise God for keeping my family, friends and community safe. However, my heart cries for the families that are suffering tonight, and it is hard for me to even find the words to write this. Today's events cause me to be so confused, and I can't even imagine how it could happen...

For about a year and four months now, I have been working at a daycare near my home. I had planned on writing a post about how thankful I am for this job, but now it takes on completely new meaning for me. I am grateful that I even have a job and that I enjoy what I do very much. Every single day when I go to work I am excited to be there, and I enjoy nearly every second spent at the daycare. I have literally fallen in love with "my" kids, the parents, and my coworkers. I am so thankful for them. Today especially, however, I am thankful for every single one of my kids' lives, and how precious and sweet they are. I have learned something from each and every one of them, and would be heartbroken if something happened to ANY of them, not to mention to all of them. I would literally give my own life for these kids if it came down to it, and I'm thankful that it hasn't. Reading about this tragedy in the news makes me want to go hold my babies at work so tightly, and praise God for their lives. I am SO grateful that I have been able to get to know each of these kids, and I am so grateful that I have more days to come with them, unlike the families and teachers and students in Connecticut affected by this. I never want to take another day at work for granted, and I pray for the safety of my own kids tonight, as well as healing for the community of Newtown, CT. My heart aches.

Day 18: High school

My high school experience wasn't exactly the "best time of my life," and brought me many struggles. However, I had many wonderful friends in school, I was involved in many activities, and I took challenging classes that I learned a lot from. Through these experiences, I gained so much knowledge! Without this, I certainly wouldn't be where I am today. I would not be in college, at least not the exceptional college I am at now, I would not enjoy music or singing as much as I do, and I definitely wouldn't have many of the life skills I need to survive in the "real world."

Going to a large high school prepared me well for my relations with people as well. I had many friends, and for the most part got along well with everyone. However, there were just a few instances where I didn't get along with someone and we didn't see eye-to-eye. Because of this, I learned how to better handle disagreement and resolve conflict, a valuable skill!

My high school is known for providing excellent education to students, and I am so thankful for that! Now that I am in college, I am beyond prepared for my course load. I strongly believe that my high school education is what prepared me so well. Without this, I never would have been this successful in college, and for that, I am so thankful to JHS!

Day 17: Extended family

I am so amazed by my family and how wonderful they are! My family supports me through absolutely everything, and I am so thankful for that! Until just a few years ago, I was not close with any of my extended family, since I live very far from them! However, I have gotten to know many of my family members better recently. I am shocked to know how much they care about me, and have always cared about me, even though we weren't close! Suddenly, my support system has grown tremendously, and I am so thankful for that! I definitely feel surrounded by support, and I can't imagine life without this family around anymore! Thank God for this support system!

Day 16: Travel

I have been so fortunate to have been able to travel quite a bit in my life. I love traveling and being able to experience different cultures! Travel allows you to see new places, new environments, try new, unique foods, and meet people completely different from you.

While traveling, I have seen and done some truly amazing things! Each of these opportunities has given me a completely new perspective, and I have seen the majesty of God in so many different, wonderful places! In Ireland, I experienced many Irish celebrations, saw many castles (As they call them, ABCs: "Another Bloody Castle!"), and got to see Irish dance in the very place it originated! I also got to see the beautiful Cliffs of Moher, which are so incredible! The cliffs are massive and absolutely beautiful. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful they are, and how clear God's presence seems to be there!

In Curacao, part of the Netherlands Antilles off the coast of Venezuela, I was able to experience Dutch culture and Dutch food, plus see many amazing sights! Curacao has an amazing aquarium as well, where I was actually able to swim with dolphins! This was absolutely the highlight of my trip! I learned so much about dolphins, and found that they are truly incredible creatures! They are so smart, and I was able to work hands-on with them. What an experience!

I am simply amazed by the wonderful things that God has created, and I am so thankful that I have been able to experience it through travel! I am so blessed by these opportunities!

Day 15: Music

This week has just been a fantastic week for me in choir and private voice lessons, so today I am especially thankful for music, and what a big part of my life it has been! I have always been in choir and band (at least since 5th grade, when our school starts those), and I have always had incredible opportunities because of that. I have learned so much through my high school and college's music programs, and I have even gotten to perform in some pretty amazing places (The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and the Disney stage in Orlando, to name a few!). Music has definitely boosted my confidence in so many ways as well, and challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. Three or four years ago, I never, ever would have done a solo in front of people. Now, I have performed solos in several solo competitions and I have even done solos in front of audiences of approximately 10,000 people.  I now know how much I actually LOVE performing in front of people!!

Not only has music given me many amazing opportunities, it has given me the chance to really worship God! Before I came to know Christ personally, I really didn't appreciate music or singing. Now, however, I see that He gave me my talent for music for a reason! I love being able to use my voice to sing His praise and share that with others as well! So I am very thankful that I have a voice to use for that!

Day 14: The little things!

Today I really took the time to realize what I am taking advantage of in my life. There are a million different little, petty things that I use or do every single day that I often either don't pay any attention to or I even complain about. I complain about getting distracted by Facebook when doing my homework, but I should be thankful that I have Facebook, or that I get to have homework and get an education! So many times have I complained about homework or going to class, but I am so incredibly fortunate to even have that opportunity!

This week in particular I have been quick to complain about walking everywhere on campus. I realize that this sounds incredibly lazy, and it really is! I have been struggling with some old injuries from horse back riding and dance for several months, however, and my knees have been giving me a lot of trouble lately. So, although I have been in a lot of pain, I should be thankful that I actually can walk and that my campus is so very small compared to most colleges! I am also very, very thankful for ibuprofen and ice! :)

I am so thankful for all the little things that I have that make my life possible, that many other people have to live without. And really, I am just thankful for life in general!

Day 13: "Necessities"

This evening, I attended what is called the "Famine Feast" put on by our campus's hunger awareness group. Is was sort of like a poverty simulation, and it definitely helped the participants, like myself, to see what it was like to live in a lower social class than we are used to. We were put into three different social classes, lower, middle and upper, and we were served different meals based on our class. I hadn't eaten dinner, because I figured "feast" meant there would be plenty of food to go around! When I was placed into the lower class, however, I was quickly proven wrong! My class was given a large pan of rice, which we had to eat with our hands, and the middle class was given watered down soup and some saltines. Meanwhile, we had to watch the "upper class" feast on spaghetti and bread.

This experience showed me how much I take for granted, and I am so much more thankful for all of that now. I am so thankful that I have food/a meal plan and can eat whatever, whenever. I am also thankful that I can afford to go to this wonderful private school to get an education, and that I know that I will always have a roof over my head or at least a place to go if someday I don't. I am so thankful for the clothes that I have, nearly an endless supply, and for my health and my family's health. I am so blessed, and hope/plan to share those blessings with others now that I see the need even more than I did before!

Day 12: Good days

I am thankful for wonderful days where everything goes right for a change. I had the best voice lesson I've ever had and everything just "clicked," I got to do barn chores and be around horses and then, to top it all off, I got a completely unexpected call from my best friend/sister!

Day 11: Leadership Skills and Opportunities

I love Milwaukee. I definitely learned that this weekend when I attended the Midwest Service Leaders Conference at Marquette University. There opportunities abound for service and ministry there, which is just incredible to me! I love the prospect of having so many opportunities to minister to people who need it the most, and I think that the impoverished and less-fortunate in our own US cities are often overlooked!

I know for sure that I have been blessed with two things: 1) a passion for helping others, and I can get awfully fired up about it (and just let my imagination go crazy with ideas!) and 2) the desire to actually take action and lead others in my endeavors. I have always been told that if I have been given abilities from God, then I have to use them to glorify Him! I absolutely believe this, and all the service that I do if for His glory and to help His people. With this desire to utilize all of my gifts and abilities also comes a desire to perfect them, and do everything to the best of my abilities. Yes, this means I am a huge perfectionist. It also means that I am an avid learner though!

Just in the past six months, I have gone to so many different conferences, camps and workshops to develop my leadership skills. I know that I want to lead, and have the ability to lead, but I don't always know exactly how I can, or know the best strategies for it. By doing everything I can to learn about it, I am really becoming even more excited about leadership, particularly in service!

I am so thankful for all of these leadership opportunities, skills and experiences! I have so many wonderful ideas right now, and my cogs are definitely spinning! I have had a specific idea for a project for quite a while now, and I keep coming back to it. I think it is about time that I set it into motion, so more on that will come... hopefully soon! Today, I am just thankful that I have the initiative and leadership skills to venture into this "dream!" God definitely has some amazing plans in store for me!

Day 10 of Thanksgiving: Diversity

Coming from a fairly wealthy, primarily white suburb, I really didn't have a lot of interaction with people from other races growing up. I learned all about diversity in the classroom, but never really experienced it outside of class. Coming to college was definitely eye-opening for me, but I jumped right into it, trying to make friends with as diverse of a group as I possibly could! I think that having a diverse friend group is so neat, and truly and important learning experience! People are so unique, and I have absolutely loved getting to know people from different backgrounds.

At the conference this weekend, race and immigration was a "hot topic" and sparked a lot of really great conversation. I learned that my school's international students feel isolated and left out on campus, and nobody really goes out of their way to include them. Why is that? I really want to further pursue this, and am curious as to the root cause of this and how we can change it! I have heard so many great stories from being friends with international students, and I am so thankful that I am getting to hear their perspectives on ideas or topics! I am definitely thankful for all of my friends and acquaintances that don't come from the same, suburban, lifestyle that I come from! I has helped me to see the world in a new light!

Day 9 of Thanksgiving: Opportunities

College is full of opportunities for everyone. It is often seen as a fresh start, a clean slate, an opportunity to try new things and do what you love. The opportunities that I have had since coming to school are absolutely incredible. I have gotten so involved (but not overwhelming myself!), and I am learning so much from my activities and am meeting so many new people!

Obviously, I have become quite involved in the campus ministry, and I just love what I have been able to do through that. I have volunteered a few times for the Malaria Initiative that is run through SLCM (Spiritual Life Campus Ministry), and I have been able to learn a lot about malaria and how is affecting our world, plus how we can help prevent it! I have also been able to participate in Bible studies, retreats and of course go to chapel, Sunday services, and Eucharist services! I am so thankful for the opportunities that I've had through SLCM!

I am also involved in choir here, which has been so much fun for me! We do so many different things, from talent shows to run-out performances at local churches, and it has been a new, unique experience! I am so excited for what is in store for me in choir, particularly our Christmas program! It will be, by far, the largest choir production I will have been involved in!

This evening, I am off to a conference in Milwaukee about leadership in service, yet another opportunity for me! I am so excited to apply what I will learn at the conference here on campus! I am so thankful for the opportunities I am getting here, as well as how bright my future looks right now because of them! I feel like, right now, my life is headed in the right direction, and God is opening up so many doors for me!! Which is why I am so thankful for opportunity in my life right now! I cannot wait to see where the next four years take me!

Thanksgiving Day 8: Silent Run

I don't even know where to start with this one, because it has truly been a long, crazy ride (no pun intended!). I have been so blessed the past 12 years of my life to be able to live out every little girl's dream. When I was little, I was horse crazy. I was literally obsessed, although you could say that I still am! I began riding when I would visit my grandpa, and I would ride his horses. When I was about 7, I began taking lessons at a local stable, and I was hooked. As I progressed, I began to compete, which is when the horse bug really bit me. There was no stopping me after I began to show, or especially after I began to jump. I started to sleep, eat, breathe horseback riding. I'm fairly certain my elementary school classmates are still sick of listening to presentations on horses to this day!

Since I started riding, I have "gotten around" and ridden at nearly 10 different barns, and been with many different trainers. I am so thankful for each and every barn though, because I had so many different opportunities at each one, and I learned a lot from each trainer. For several years, I rode at a competition/breeding barn about 20 minutes from my home, and this is really where my riding took off. It was at this barn that I began showing often, where I leased my first horse, and where I got experience riding all types of different horses. I was able to ride a variety of sale and lesson horses for my trainers, and eventually was even asked to ride other clients' horses for them.

It was during this time period that I began riding Panda, whom many people know as Ponylicious, or even "Wonder Pony!" Panda and I were a fantastic team, and we were highly decorated as far as awards go! In 2009, as myself as her rider, Panda was Region 6's USHJA (US Hunter/Jumper Association) Horse of the Year Reserve Champion Medium Pony Hunter, as well as Horse of the Year Reserve Champion Green Medium Pony Hunter. Both of these are huge accomplishments both for myself and for Panda! Panda and I definitely made a very special team, and I will always treasure the year or two that we worked together!


Towards the end of my time with Panda (and really the reason that I stopped riding her), I was so blessed to be able to get my own horse, Silent Run (Sy). I always tell people that there is only one guy for me, and that is my horse! Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I say that, but Sy and I have literally gone through so much together, that I can't even imagine life without him anymore! Since I have owned him, we've had our battles with injuries (both of us!), sickness (mostly him!), and we've certainly had our fair share of arguments! But he is mine, and I am his, and I don't think that anything can change that, even if we part ways someday. Owning Sy has taught me so much about horses, about people, about myself, and about love. Our three and a half years together has been the experience of a lifetime, and I can't even describe how thankful I am for that. Thank God for this amazing opportunity. If you want a stable relationship... get a horse! ;)

Day Seven of Thanksgiving: Embracing Church Families

Words cannot even begin to explain how thankful I am for my church family. I am surrounded by support and love when I'm with my church family, and they have helped my faith to grow so much in the past year. Now, my "church family" is not your average church community, but so much more than that. My family is more like a network: it is made up of multiple churches, multiple denominations, multiple locations, but one solid faith in God.

I am so blessed to have my home church, where my faith has grown tremendously, and the community has supported me and taught me so much within the last 14 months. My best friends go to Hope, my church in my hometown, and they have been with me every step of my journey with Christ since last year. I honestly don't know where I would be without them. I certainly wouldn't have faith like I do now! Not only my friends are there, but several of my biggest mentors, whom I look up to the most in my life. This environment has completely surrounded me with faithful followers of Jesus, which has fostered the Christ-follower in myself as well!

Over the past few years, I have also been able to create a network with people at churches all over my hometown of Des Moines. I have many Christ-centered friends that I have made through various Bible studies, events at my church, or just from school and work. Not only do I have these people in Des Moines though, but I also have an amazing network in Minnesota as well! This past summer, I spent a week completely submerged in God's creation and His Word at a camp just north of Duluth, MN. I met some truly amazing students there, who have really become some of my closest friends, but I also was able to meet youth directors from all over Minnesota. Since this wonderful experience (despite the major flooding, which flooded us into camp, destroyed our shower area, soaked our tents and belongings, lost our canoes, broke our dock, etc!), I have become so incredibly close with many of the other campers and leaders, and I am so, so thankful that I have them! Some days, it doesn't even seem like we live so far away from each other, because we visit one another, support each other all the time, pray for each other, and still talk often! Who knew camp could form such strong bonds in just a week?!

I am so blessed for my home church family and my network of Christian friends all over the Midwest, but I'm also very thankful for my church family here at school. Being involved with campus ministry has gotten me so involved, and I have met so many new people with the same love for Jesus that I have! It has truly been a blessing to be involved in events such as retreats and Bible studies through campus ministry here, and it has already been a great support for me. Wednesday nights, with Bible study, Eucharist and fellowship, are by far the highlight of my week, and I anticipate it for days ahead of time! I have felt so much love and support from my friends here, and the campus pastors are absolutely wonderful. I am so enthusiastic about the next 4 years with my newest church family, and I now can't even imagine spending my college years without them. :)

Day Six of Thanksgiving: Freedom

I am not someone who is highly political at all, but it is hard not to be involved in politics when it is the first presidential election that you are able to vote in. For me, it is not so much about the "politics" of everything going on right now, but rather the desire for freedom that we have in this country. I think that a lot of people take advantage of the freedom that we have. I am absolutely thankful for everything that I am able to do because I was born in America, and not elsewhere. Voting is truly a privilege for us, and that isn't an option for most people in the world

I by no means want to endorse anyone in particular, and I'm not going to say to go vote for a specific candidate! I also don't think that everyone has to or should vote. You definitely shouldn't make an uninformed vote if you haven't done you research! As a Christian, I honestly believe that voting should take a lot of careful consideration and prayer before choosing a president. And that is exactly what I did. So, I have officially done my "American duty" and voted today.. for the very first time! And the next time that you have the opportunity to vote or influence public policy, take advantage of that! It is an amazing privilege that we have so much of a say in our government, and I am very thankful for that!

Day Five of Thanksgiving

Life is not always easy, and I don't always have amazing days. In fact, I've had, and currently have, many struggles in life. At the same time, my smile is rarely a fake one, and I don't hide my sorrows behind a smile. My smile is almost always a very legitimate one, because I always try to keep God in mind. I know that He is always with me, even in times of great trials, so I am never alone in my struggles. His love for me is so incredible and great, and it can be so hard to be upset when you think about that!

Truthfully, I think that challenges and obstacles in life are good for us. It may seem terrible while we face them, but in the long run, we become stronger people. We learn from every experience that we have, good or bad, and can use that knowledge in future events. I have definitely come to appreciate this!

My high school years were by no means easy. I had a very difficult course load, challenging me academically, and I was very involved in extracurricular activities and a job. I also had (as many high school girls have) many instances of friend drama. I was not always necessarily directly involved in the drama, as I am definitely not a dramatic person, but I often became a mediator between friends. I also had quite a few personal struggles, such as figuring out what to do with my faith. I definitely was not close with God during high school, and it made for four years with a lot of unhappiness and uncertainty. My relationships with friends, a boyfriend, and even with my family were definitely unhealthy at times because of this.

All of these struggles ended up helping me though! I now am a much stronger student, and I have learned how to manage my time more effectively. I also have a lot more "real-world experience" than many college students from my job, conferences, networking with working adults and other learning opportunities I have had. More importantly though, I have learned how difficult life is without God, and how wonderful it is when you have a relationship with Him. Since I began trusting my life to Him more, my relationships with people have become so much healthier and stronger, and I am a much happier person overall. I have also had so many more opportunities open up to me in the past year than ever had before, and I am more convinced than ever that God has an amazing plan for my life!

So, for me, struggle leads to more experience, which has had a huge impact on my life! I cannot wait to see what obstacles God has in store for my future, and how that can open up new opportunities for me!

Thanksgiving Day Four: Not your typical roommate drama!

I have officially been in college for two months. These two months have been hectic, but they have already proven to me that college really can be "the best four years of your life!" They also say that the friends that you make in college are your best friends for life. I can already tell that this is beyond true.

The very first student I met on campus was my roommate. I was incredibly cautious the first few weeks of school, doing my very best to be a good roommate. I cleaned my side of the room almost obsessively so it wouldn't bother her (sorry that went out the window, Brooke!), and I tried so hard to be considerate (using headphones, not studying with my light on night, and being quiet in the room). Once we got to know each other better and got used to each others' habits and lifestyles, we started to become more than just roommates, but actually friends as well! Although it takes a long time, and a lot of inside jokes, for someone to become one of my "best friends," I would dare to say that Brooke is well on her way there. No, she doesn't know all of my secrets, and I don't know hers, but we do share a lot with each other (obviously, we share a room don't we?!), especially a lot of laughs!

So today, the 4th of November, I am so thankful for a roommate situation that has not only just "worked out," but has also truly blossomed! I have been so blessed to have been paired with Brooke, who shares my passion for music and horses, and I couldn't ask for a better, randomly-assigned roommate! Although there are some points where I get frustrated, I know that this is a learning experience for both of us. There are always the little things that we each do in our own ways, causing minor discord, but it has been really good for me to learn to accept other ways of doing things. I cannot always be right!

The friendship we have only begun to form has made for some really great moments, so for a small sampling:

• "The word gymnasium comes from the word naked!"
• "The end of the world is like Outfly: nobody knows when it is, then someone guesses the correct day that it will be, and someone changes it just to mess with us."
• Many, many blonde moments, for both of us!
• Taking Brooke to a larger town so she can lose her "Starbucks virginity"
• Brooke's love for zebra print leading me to have a new-found love of zebra print!
• Creepy Taylor Swift posters that we have hanging in our room
• Uncontrollable laughter... over absolutely nothing :)
• Morse code with our upstairs neighbors.

So Brooke, thank you so much for putting up with how crazy I can be (let's face it.. how crazy I ALWAYS am!!). I am so glad that you are my roommate and my friend, and I cannot wait to see how the next four years unfold for both of us!

Thanksgiving Day Three

It's funny, how much we take for granted. When was the last time that you really considered how unique YOU are? There is not a single person in this world that has the same identity as you. This thought occurred to me as I watched one of my best friends swim at the State meet today. My friend is an incredible athlete, and definitely has the resumé to prove it, particularly after winning the title of regional 100 backstroke champion last weekend, and now winning 3rd overall in the same event at the State meet. I also know that her faith in God is strong, and that she gives all the glory to Him for her talents and athletic abilities. This is so amazing, because I know a lot of us lose sight of this, and take our gifts for granted, even reject them sometimes. But the truth is that God gives us gifts and He expects us to use them for His glory, meaning we shouldn't reject or deny that we've been given incredible talents!

I know that I am totally, completely unique, and I am terrible about denying the gifts that I have been given. It is definitely a habit that I am working hard to get rid of, because God deserves to get credit for what He has done for me! I am incredibly talented, and I think the reason I deny that is because I don't want to sound like I am boasting. This is understandable for sure, but I think my pastor, Pastor Mike, said it best a few weeks ago: "If your intention is to give the glory to God, it isn't bragging.....but you have to USE the gifts He gave you!" We need to stop worrying about sounded conceited when talking about our gifts, because in the end, they aren't our gifts at all, but God's!

For example, I do, and have always done, quite well academically. Even now in college (so far, but I'm not making a habit out of slacking!) I can do well on tests and papers with minimal effort. That being said, I am doing my very best to use my intelligence for God's work, studying public health in hopes to use that to serve a non-profit organization and people less fortunate than I am someday in the future.

I will also freely admit that I have been given an amazing classical singing voice. This definitely makes singing in church much easier, and more enjoyable! I am also really looking forward to my school choir's Christmas program in a few weeks, where I will be able to sing all about Jesus' birth! Singing has definitely allowed me to step out of my comfort zone as well. I absolutely think that God gave me this voice as a sort of "pathway" to help me overcome my incredible introversion. I have found that I really DO enjoy being in front of people and performing, which I probably never would have done without a good singing voice.

So obviously, we have gifts for a reason! Why not use them for their intended purpose: to glorify God! Don't be afraid to do that, and try your very best not to deny them or hide them! Our talents are to show others how much we love and adore our God, and sometimes even are to help us uncover new sides of our personality. Talents and abilities shape our identities, our identities that God wanted us to have all along. Why hide who your Maker created you, so lovingly and creatively, to be?

Day Two of Thanksgiving

Happy 2nd of November! I'm going to do my very best with keeping up with the 30 days of Thanksgiving this month, because I know I have a lot to be thankful for! Our God truly does amazing things for us, and I really want to pay more attention to that each and every day!

Today I am especially thankful for my school and this community that I live in here! Today I gave my first "official" tour for the admissions office, and it really made me realize how much I love it here! I am surrounded by truly wonderful people here, and my specific group of friends has really helped me to strengthen my relationship with God the past two months.

Not only are my friends here terrific, but I am honestly blessed by a beautiful school! I feel so much joy walking around campus and seeing all of the massive trees and the gorgeous brick buildings. At night, the buildings glow under the moonlight, and you can actually see the stars if you look up (something you can't see in my suburban home!). Adorable squirrels are a common sight on campus, and are often just a few feet away from you. One of my absolute favorite things that I see while walking on campus is my school's chapel. The chapel has kind of become the "poster child" for my school, and is on many of our logos and in many of our promotion pictures. There are two tall steeples that rise from the building, and right in the middle of them is a cross. This can symbolize so many different things, but I see it as Christ being the center of our community. Between our social lives and our academics, or the organizations we are involved in, or perhaps even the many trials we may face in college, Christ is right there in the middle of it with us.

It has truly amazed me the past few months how often I am seeing God as compared to my life before college. I am taking a lot more time to notice the things he has given to me and blessed me with, and how beautiful and amazing the world that he created is! I can't even imagine my life right now without God, and I am so, SO thankful that I know Him and have a strong, quickly growing relationship with Him! Thank you so much Lord, for everything that you have blessed me with, this month, and every month!

Month of Thanksgiving

Today is the first of November, and the beginning of the "30 day of Thanksgiving posts" on Facebook. I am all for being thankful for things, but why are we only voicing our thankfulness during one month of the year? God is SO good to us, and we literally have so much to be thankful for because of that! I could probably find at least one thing, no matter how small, to thank God for every single day. So why do we wait until November and until Thanksgiving?

Last night, Wednesday, was the night that I go to a campus Bible study and a Eucharist service. At Eucharist, we talked and thought about All Saints Day, and we wrote on a poster who our "saints" are. These "saints" are the people in our lives who have really shaped our faith and taught us what it really means to be Christian. For me, writing down my saints was easier said than done. I have been so incredibly blessed in my life, and I am surrounded by amazing people of faith. I couldn't even possibly begin to list all the people who have shaped me into the person I am today! A few particular people do come to mind though. I am so, so thankful for two wonderful women of faith that I know, who have truly become like 2nd and 3rd mothers to me. Both have taught me so much about having a relationship with God, and they have gotten me through a lot of tough stuff over the past several years. I truly don't know where I would be without them! I also have a solid group of Christian friends that I have made through my church, my college, and conferences and camps I have attended. I know that I am never alone and I have many people that I can go to with anything. I have a strong prayer team on my side if I ever need anything, which is such a good feeling! On top of all these wonderful people, I also know that I have a WONDERFUL God, who is literally there for me 24/7. He is the ultimate friend, listener, teacher, healer, comforter, confidante, Father, and a million other things that words don't even describe.

Many times, I get into the flow of life, and I forget about the support system that I have behind me, and I forget that God is always, always there. Last night was somewhat of a breakthrough for me as I thought about these things, and for the first time in a long time, I felt it too. It wasn't just something that I thought about for a few minutes then forgot about, or understood but took for granted. So, while it is still "popular" to talk about what we are thankful for, I'd like to tell everyone in my life how thankful I am for you. I am beyond thankful for you, and everything that you do for me! Praise God for my saints and for His love for us!

Aspen Trees

In the Monday morning chapel service this week, we had a speaker come in from outside the school to talk to us. Our speaker was Jessica Nipp Hacker, the coordinator for the ELCA Malaria Campaign and a Wartburg graduate herself. Naturally, I was interested, because I am quite passionate about the malaria initiative here on my college campus! I was however, not expecting for myself to be moved about my own life and the people that are around me every single day. "Jess" as everyone on campus called her, described the lifestyle of aspen trees, and related it to the life of Christians. Well, the life that Christians should lead rather. A grove of quaking aspen trees in Utah makes up the largest organism on the planet, as each and every tree is interconnected by the roots underground. Isn't this just incredible? What if Christians were able to live the same way? Each an individual, yet all intertwined and connected at the roots, at the heart. Just something to think about.. :)

My quest..

A little information about this blog(or the intention of it anyway!):

I am on a mission to view the world and the beautiful people in it more like Jesus does. I need more compassion, love, passion, intensity, commitment, drive, perseverance, etc. to love the world the way He does. Every single day I pray that God helps me to be more tolerant of others and help me to see things from their perspectives, rather than just my own. I hope to be more like Jesus every single day, and to love the same way He does. Every single person on this earth is a child of God, and they all deserve to be treated with respect and compassion, and need to know how much they are loved!! This blog will hopefully follow my quest for a more loving, caring life in our savior, Jesus!